Recovery
by megers67
Summary: Surgeon Commander Eleanor Gray, a sour and kangaroo-like friend of Amelia's has been seriously injured in battle and is forced to rest. With nobody else to help her in her recovery, Amelia asks her dear husband to look after her in her time of need. Can the astrophysicist and the medic get along long enough to survive until Amelia returns from a mission?


It had been a quiet morning, Delbert noticed as he brewed a lonely cup of tea. Not anything remotely exciting or eventful had taken place in the local area when he had gone into town to run general errands. At least none other than the normal inane gossip that Mrs. Jenson and Mr. Woodsworth might have been seen together or that Mr. Harrington borrowed money from Mr. Peterson and won't pay the man back or that someone said something about someone…. Bah! It was nothing that he could possibly retain an interest in truthfully.

He had just sat himself in his favorite chair, book in hand when he heard a knock at his door. Curious, he wasn't particularly expecting anyone. Setting the porcelain cup down on the table, the canid then opened the door for his visitor. Before him stood a tall young man clad in the standard Imperial Navy uniform. His red hair was clean cut and his beard trimmed close to his freckled face.

"Are you Dr. Delbert Doppler?" The voice that came from the man had a low gruff tone without any particular trace of casual use.

"Yes this is he." The astrophysicist was growing more concerned with each passing moment. He was thankful that there was no folded flag of condolence in the man's possession; however he had no clue why he would suddenly appear at his doorstep. "How is it that I may help you?"

"The Admiral requests that you see her with all possible speed, sir."

"Yes, let me just pack up my things then." Well this certainly odd. Amelia usually sent correspondence through the normal civilian courier, not like this. Something must have happened.

"If you don't mind me saying so sir, we'd prefer that you do as quickly as you can manage. We cannot afford to wait all day." He gestured to a carriage behind him with a pair of impatient bullyadous tethered to the contraption.

"Yes, yes of course." Rushing back inside, Dr. Doppler grabbed his travel coat and other essentials such as his house keys. He emerged in minutes and after locking the door, was at the officer's side and quickly in the carriage.

An uncomfortable silence filled the confined space, as the two men sat across from each other as they rode to the ship that would assuredly take them to Crescentia. Doppler however, was not content to sit in silence until he could glean any information from his sudden summons. "If I might ask Mr…"

"Sub-Lieutenant Rodgers, Doctor Doppler." It was clear that the man was annoyed at being referred to without rank. Though in the poor astronomer's defense, he had no way of knowing. "What is it that you wish to ask?"

"What exactly happened to m-…." He cleared his throat as he remembered that Amelia preferred formality in these situations. "To the Admiral? Do you know why she summoned me?"

The officer spoke bluntly with no attempt to beat around any proverbial bushes. They both knew there was no sense in it. "The Admiral and her crew were ambushed while on patrol by a pair of Procyon vessels. There were heavy casualties and injuries."

Delbert already dreaded where this conversation was going. "Is the Admiral on that list?"

"Luckily not, sir."

"Then why was my presence requested so… suddenly?" This was certainly odd. He knew Amelia wouldn't summon him like this if she didn't need him for something.

The man looked through a small pile of papers that Doppler hadn't noticed before. "We have you listed as the emergency contact for one of the injured, Doctor."

This took Delbert quite by surprise. He knew that he would be contacted if his wife were injured or worse should the tragedy occur, but he could not possibly gather on whose behalf that might warrant such an action. He furrowed his brow as he noticed that they were quite close to the makeshift dock. "Um…. Who?"

Sub-Lieutenant Rodgers regarded the astrophysicist with a rare coloring of confusion as the carriage jolted to a halt. However it was not his business to question why the man wouldn't know whose emergency contact he was. Just as it was also not his business to comment on the lack of some sort of mental function that this would require nor on how disorganized the scholar seemed to be if appearances were to be taken into account. "Surgeon-Commander Eleanor Gray, sir." He sharply rapped on the door of the vehicle, a call which was answered by a low-ranking spacer. "I must apologize Dr. Doppler, but I cannot escort you further. Here is your summons and have a good day."

Surgeon-Commander Gray? The name sounded familiar. Wait, wasn't she the medical officer who gave them the news of Amelia's pregnancy? Why would he be her emergency contact? There must be a mistake. That would explain this. "Sir, I believe that there must be some sort of-" As he turned to face Rodgers, he found that the carriage was already far in the distance. Shaking his head, he followed the spacers to the ship and examined his summons. They seemed to be in order and Amelia's signature was, as plain as a celestial object's blueshift. She must certainly be stressed in any rate; what with her pregnancy on top of the ambush and all. Delbert simply hoped that he would be able to help with whatever his wife needed him for as he boarded the vessel.

* * *

As Delbert stepped off the ship when they landed in Crescentia, he immediately scanned the crowded spaceport in a vain attempt to spot an unoccupied taxi carriage to take him to the Admiralty House. From his position from the gangplank as he descended downwards already informed him of the bad luck that awaited him. It must have been quite a busy day for the last cab was already being boarded. Hopefully the next would arrive soon enough. However as he started winding his way towards the cab rank, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Presuming it to be an accidental encounter with a stranger, he pushed it from his mind and pressed onward. However he felt it again, this time with an accompanying voice.

"Dr. Doppler!"

The astrophysicist turned to discover a young female naval officer, one who was growing more familiar to him. "Lieutenant Mayflower? What are you doing here?"

"I'm your escort of course. The Admiral has requested that I personally take you to meet her at the hospital rather than her office."

Delbert had so many questions; however, this wasn't the place to address his concerns. He followed the pale yellow felinid to a waiting carriage. He held the door open for her as she got in. When the door shut, he almost had no time to settle himself before the vehicle lurched forward. The pair sat across from each other with only the busy streets around them preventing true silence.

The blonde feline regarded her charge for a few painfully awkward moments before speaking. "I know that you must be confused about all of this. It will be some time before we arrive at the hospital, so if you have any questions please, do ask me."

"Ah, yes." He cleared his throat before continuing. "Quite frankly Lieutenant, I was wondering first and foremost why I am here. I mean I don't regret coming, I love visiting Amel- the Admiral but I was called so suddenly. At first I thought that something had happened, and while I was told that the Lyonesse was attacked, that she was quite alright. Also that Sub-Lieutenant mentioned something about Surgeon-Commander Gray I believe."

She waved a hand somewhat amused. "Ah, formalities are not necessary here while we're out of the public eye, Delbert. Though to your question, you are quite right, Amelia was unscathed in the attack. She has already been given a full examination." She gave a soft and comforting smile. "The children are fine as well." She paused for a moment to allow Delbert to relax with this information. She flipped through her papers then pressed onward. "Surgeon-Commander Gray or Dr. Gray however was severely wounded during the ambush and is in critical, yet stable condition. You personally were called because you are her emergency contact."

"Therein lies the source of my confusion, Aurora. I don't particularly recall signing the forms for her, only Amelia." The astrophysicist sat back in the seat in thought. Did he?

"Well since Amelia authorized it herself, so you should speak with her about it. Here's the form in question if you wish to look at it." The felinid handed a simple slip of paper to him which bore all of the essentials: Dr. Gray's full name, military identification number, picture, any special distinguishing characteristics, medical requirements, etc. as well as the contact information for one person. His own. Still confused, he could not however refute the evidence before him. He would most definitely have to speak with Amelia about this.

Delbert looked out the window to see that they were approaching a plain and unassuming building near the Admiralty House. _Imperial Navy Medical Center _read a sign as they passed the entrance.

"Oh, and Delbert, you should also know that while Dr. Gray is Amelia's doctor, they are also incredibly close friends. Amelia will likely be-"  
"Stressed. I understand, Aurora." He almost lurched forward as they came to a sudden stop. "Well, Lieutenant now, I'm assuming."

She nodded as the door opened for them. "After you, Doctor."

* * *

While each bed was sectioned off by a set of modest curtains, the illusion of privacy was easily shattered by the coughing, moaning, and complaining of the other patients. However at the moment it was mostly quiet that early morning before the day's hustle and bustle was underway and it was in this calm that Surgeon-Commander Eleanor Gray woke up to. The bright light coming from a nearby window was the first thing to that she saw when she groggily opened her eyes. At first she wasn't quite sure where she was, but remembered the ambush and figured that she must be in a hospital. She felt sluggish, heavy and most of all weak and hated the feeling, but was thankful that the pain was virtually unnoticeable. The medicine she was being given must be strong.

As her surroundings slowly focused around her, she caught sight of Amelia who was soundly sleeping in what was undoubtedly an uncomfortable chair. She felt it was best not to awake her good friend as she would need rest herself. Not only was she an Admiral, but her good friend was also newly pregnant and the combined status was sure to take a lot out of anyone. Out of habit, she scanned Amelia as best she could for any signs of obvious injury. The Macropodian doctor saw nothing of note at the present time and was forced to abandon the effort.

Experimentally she attempted to adjust her position to something more comfortable. This turned out to be a terrible idea as pain came shooting from her abdomen. Wincing, she halted all movement until the throbbing died down. She lay back still and took a few deep, relaxing breaths before she lifted the blankets to scrutinize over the injury site. Gray remembered doing her best to patch up what was at first a hole in her body amidst the battle raging around her, but in all honesty her memory of the event was foggy at best. She decided not to peel back the bandages that the doctors had set but could already see that they had cleaned up the work that she had done in the chaos. The fact that she was conscious enough to analyze her condition was a testament to not only her own skill but also that of the doctors who tended to her. Speaking of getting a grasp on her current condition, she stared at her medical chart which hung at the foot of her bed. While this was of no matter to most patients who wouldn't be able to understand and therefore not care about the detailed description in those charts, to Gray this was an unforgivingly annoying taunt. Everything she needed to know was only feet from her grasp.

She pondered her conundrum for a few moments. She couldn't simply go get it, if she moved too much she risked re-opening her wound, an action that could very well kill her. The naval surgeon felt completely helpless in that bed, but was determined to at least try. Flicking the covers off of her long foot, she started stretching the limb out toward the clipboard. However the harder she tried, the pain grew worse, but she was so close….

"Eleanor, let me get that for you."

The sudden and unexpected voice startled Gray enough to make her jump slightly. Slightly however, proved to be enough for her wound to throw her into agonizing pain. She hissed and clutched at her abdomen under her arms while curling up tight on her side. Quickly she felt comforting hands on her shoulders.

"Shhhh shhh Eleanor, it will be alright, everything will be fine." Amelia squeezed Gray's shoulder soothingly. She only relented when she was sure that the majority of the pain had passed.

Gray eventually relaxed as the agony faded into a dull ache, but she remained on her side facing away from her friend. There were few occasions that she felt lower than she did now and it wasn't a pretty sight. She had always prided herself with being on top of everything; in control. Everything was out of her hands now, however and the helplessness was overwhelming. She felt something nudge into her hands and saw her medical chart bring pushed into them.

"If your mind refuses to rest, at least let your body. I don't have to be a doctor to know that the sooner you let yourself recuperate, the sooner you can get back to duty like I know you want to." She helped Gray go back to lying on her back who was already scrutinizing the pages. Letting the Macropodian to concentrate, Amelia opened a drawer in the bedside table it was empty save for the few possessions Gray had on her at the time, but her trademark notepad and pen didn't seem to make the journey. She opened the curtain while her friend was preoccupied in order to find a nurse.

Amelia drummed her fingers on the nurses' desk outside the room. She had been waiting there for five minutes already but did not interrupt the poor nurse from the seven tasks she appeared to be doing at the same time; calling one person, writing notes, reading the call board, keeping track of patient information as conditions changed, incoming and outgoing patients to be logged, moving patients to or from ICU, eating a sandwich. Amelia was in no rush, besides it was nice to get a proverbial fresh breath of air. Unbeknownst to her however, another felinid with a canid close behind approached the desk as well.

"Amelia?" Dr. Doppler didn't speak loudly so as to not bother the other patients; however his words did not escape the Admiral's impeccable hearing.

"Delbert?" She turned to find her husband having already halved the distance between them. Within moments they were in each other's arms, Doppler holding his wife carefully before he kissed her tenderly. After what felt like a lifetime, the pulled apart but their arms remained entwined.

Delbert's voice was a mere whisper. "When… when they told me about the ambush, I feared the worst."

"I'm so sorry for worrying you, love." She cupped his cheek with one of her hands. "And before you ask, I am just fine." She smiled and rest her head on his shoulder. "All of us."

He smiled to himself for a moment in relief letting them stand in silence in the middle of the room. He had noticed that Aurora had since taken her leave, wishing not to disturb the touching moment. Finally he felt his wife break away.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, dear."

"How could I refuse an urgent summons from the Admiral herself?" He gave a small chuckle before he took on a more serious tone. "Though I must admit that I am confused by the circumstances of the situation."

"I must apologize again, love. It has been hectic around here since the ambush so I didn't have much time. Allow me to explain." She took the scientists' hand in hers and led him to the Surgeon-Commander's bedside. "I know the two of you have already technically met, allow me to introduce, Surgeon-Commander Eleanor Jane Gray." The Macropodian turned her head to look over the canid before her, almost critically. "Eleanor, this is Dr. Delbert Doppler, my husband." The astronomer shifted uncomfortably where he stood when the medic's scrutinizing gaze fell upon him. Amelia however pressed on despite the awkwardness.

"Now, Delbert as for why you are here…" She sat down in the chair he had pulled out for her. "Thank you. Now as for why you are here, I was going through paperwork when I noticed that you, Eleanor had nobody listed for an emergency contact."

Eleanor formed an annoyed expression when her first name was used. She only allowed Amelia to refer to her by first name, and even then in private. When Amelia had pointed out the issue involving the contact though, she averted her gaze with a heavy sigh. Even if she could speak, nothing needed to be said. She had told her dear friend everything over the years, in pieces of course. She told her about how she was kept to the side and out of sight in her childhood, how her brother was the only member of her family who seemed to care about her or at least manage to look past her disability, how he joined the Navy and was subsequently killed; everything. The point however was that Amelia was her only true friend, she couldn't even rely on her family; not that she wanted to at least.

"Amelia, I have to ask. Why me though?"

"I would have put myself on the list, however it would be incredibly redundant. Considering my position, I would be among the first to know if anything were to happen to her, especially if she was on my ship when it happened. It would simply be adding unnecessary paperwork that I would have to deal with later. Now I chose you because you are one of very few people I can trust with her, and the only one of them not in the Navy."

He nodded but then furrowed his brows as a particular word caught his attention. "I'm sorry, you said that I was one of few people that you could trust _'with'_ her. What exactly do you mean by that?"

The felinid sighed wearily. "While the hospital here is quite large, it is also the most central and active hospital in the region. What this means for our situation is that while they did fix Eleanor's wound, all she has to do now is recover. However since all that needs to be done is for her to rest, it is unfeasible for her to stay here. The hospital can't afford to spend resources on patients until they are able to go back on duty. That means that when she is strong enough, they will discharge her."

While she has been working for the hospital for years now and therefore knew the protocol quite well, Gray only just now realized what this meant for her personally. She lived alone in a small apartment but she wouldn't be able to care for herself, especially if she needed the rest. Eleanor rubbed the bridge of her nose guessing why Amelia would be telling Doppler all of this.

"She will need assistance until she can go back to work, dear."

Delbert finally put the pieces together. He was to be caretaker then. "Ah."

"I do apologize that this is incredibly short notice, however I had no choice." She gave her husband an apologetic smile. "I will be able to help you soon. In a few days, I will return to the ambush site in order to help determine how we were caught by surprise. The Council believes, as do I, that since I was there, that I should personally assist in the investigation."

Delbert blanched at the prospect and squeezed her hand gently out of worry. "You're leaving so soon after what happened? You're going back?"

"I promise it will be a short venture. Besides, afterwards I will be home for the rest of my pregnancy." The Admiral looked to Gray who had returned to her medical charts when the other two were talking to themselves. "In the meantime, I need you look after Eleanor while she recovers. It should be no longer than two weeks until I return. If I had any other option that I was comfortable with, I would gladly take it. I feel quite terrible for thrusting this duty onto you, dear."

Delbert stroked his thumb against his wife's hand for a moment before taking a sideways glance at the woman in the hospital bed. "I think I can manage a couple of weeks of this if it means I can be with you for a few months in a row." He lightly kissed her on the cheek as she sighed with relief.

"Thank you, Delbert. It truly means a lot to me." She started to stand. "Now if you excuse me, I need to hunt down a pen and a pad of paper for Eleanor." However, Amelia felt a hand on her shoulder to keep her in the chair.

"No, no I'll go. You still need to rest, you look positively exhausted and you deserve the rest." He kissed her once more before he left to track down writing materials.

Amelia smiled content and settled back down in the chair. "I love you, dear." After he vanished she returned to her old friend. "Oh, don't give me that look. As his wife and mother of his future children, I am quite entitled to it."

The Surgeon-Commander rolled her eyes but had a playful smile on her face as well. She understood well that her friend was quite infatuated with her husband, however she wasn't used to seeing Amelia display such affection.

"It would mean quite a lot to me if you at least tried to be civil to him while I am gone." The Admiral had recovered from her softness quickly it seemed. "Both Aurora and Ko are working and he is the only other person I trust with this and he is more than capable."

Eleanor was very much displeased with the situation. She didn't know much about this man, only his name, occupation and a few odd stories. She had no idea what he was like, how he went about things, but now it seems that she was stuck having to let him look after her. She might as well hire a stranger.

"What would you rather me do? Contact your family?" She sighed in aggravation but softened. "I really do care about you and you are one of my closest friends. Believe me when I say that this is the best of many options I considered. I would not allow this if I had any doubts. Besides, you two needed to get to know one another eventually."

Gray knew that Amelia was right. That since Amelia trusted the man enough to marry him it was inevitable that they meet outside of work. Though this wasn't quite what Gray had imagined. However, it indeed was much better than having to face her family again after literally years of silence between them. She would have to accept this for what it was. Begrudgingly, Eleanor extended a hand to shake on her mutual agreement to the plan with a yawn.

The felinid gladly took the hand. "Thank you, Eleanor. Everything will be fine. I promise. Now you rest up, you have quite a ways to go before you can return." She smiled and let her friend to rest as she headed out for the Admiralty house. There was still quite a bit of paperwork she needed to get through. No rest for the weary it seemed.


End file.
